{"podcast":{"title":"Becoming Financially Confident","slug":"financially-confident-christian-773313","podcast_index_feed_id":773313,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/ask-ralph-podcast/","website_url":"http://www.becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/c17cbaaa-ac0e-40c1-abbe-52b5e2557b3f/BFC-Podcast-Cover-Final-v2.jpg","author":"Ralph V. Estep, Jr.","episode_count":1257,"summary":"Breaking Free from Financial Shame, one conversation at a time. Most money advice assumes you already know what you're doing. This show doesn't. Becoming Financially Confident is a live weekday show for people who want to get their financial life in order without being lectured, judged, or sold something. Host Ralph Estep Jr. is a Licensed Public Accountant with more than 30 years of experience sitting across the desk from real people and real businesses — the shoebox of receipts, the tax notice nobody wants to open, the budget that never quite balances. He has made his own expensive mistakes, and he talks about them openly. This is not a new voice. Ralph has published more than 1,200 episodes across eight seasons, earned national recognition for his work, and written nearly a thousand articles on money, taxes, technology, and small business. Becoming Financially Confident is the next chapter of that same show, in the same feed — sharper, live, and built around one idea: you are capable of figuring this out. Every show opens with Headlines: what happened in the money world, and why it matters to your money and not just somebody's portfolio. From there, the recurring segments inclu…","last_synced_at":"2026-09-16T10:17:43.701925+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/financially-confident-christian-773313"},"episode":{"title":"What Really Triggers an IRS Audit in 2026?","slug":"what-really-triggers-an-irs-audit-in-2026","published_at":"2026-06-03T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/financially-confident-christian-773313/what-really-triggers-an-irs-audit-in-2026","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/financially-confident-christian-773313","url":"https://www.financiallyconfidentchristian.com/triggers-an-irs-audit","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/840fdeae-8d7f-438b-9e8e-c5a0daa9fd70.mp3","summary":"Today, we’re diving into some real talk about money and the struggles that pop up for everyday folks. First up, we tackle the concerns of a self-employed listener who's sweating bullets over whether she claimed too much on her taxes and if the IRS is gonna come knocking. Next, we chat about a guy who's meticulously planned his Social Security claim but just learned that the filing process can be a total curveball. Finally, we address a mom whose daughter is draining her retirement account just to cover rent—yikes! We’re all about keeping it real, so join us for some practical advice and a few laughs along the way. Grab your coffee, kick back, and let’s get into it! What Really Triggers an IRS Audit in 2026? Read today's blog article Check out the full podcast episode here Ralph is back with a bang, and boy, did he have a lot to share today! Kicking things off, he joyfully announces the arrival of his grandson, Carson Christopher Estep, which is honestly the cutest thing ever. Grandparent vibes are strong, folks! Then, he dives deep into some real talk about money, tackling questions that hit home for many of us. We’re talking about the kinda stuff that keeps you awake at 3 AM, worrying about taxes, Social Security, and retirement savings. First up, we’ve got a self-employed listener sweating bullets over potential IRS audits after claiming some deductions. Ralph reassures her that as long as she’s kept good records and didn’t try to pull a fast one, she’s in the clear. But he also drops some wisdom about how the IRS works and the importance of documentation. Next, we hear from a listener who’s meticulously planned her Social Security claiming strategy, only to realize the process can be a logistical nightmare. Ralph emphasizes the importance of starting the filing proc…","meta_description":"Today, we’re diving into some real talk about money and the struggles that pop up for everyday folks. First up, we tackle the concerns of a self-employed…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3189,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/financially-confident-christian-773313/episodes/what-really-triggers-an-irs-audit-in-2026/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/financially-confident-christian-773313/what-really-triggers-an-irs-audit-in-2026.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}